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Oswallt Vaughan
Emperor Oswallt 'The Mace' Vaughan, known simply as Emperor Vaughan is the second and current Emperor of Athrugadh. Vaughan the Soldier When King Harold Uril invaded Ariilyth's neighbours in the decade long Conquest of the Aedoln Duchies, Oswallt Vaughan (pronounced: 'Oz-wallt Vawn') left the stern fortress of his matching noble family to march east. A powerful biotic, and disciplined soldier, Oswallt killed and saved enough people to be branded a war hero. Yet despite his prowess and discipline as a commander in the field, there was always one thing holding him back: his unshakeable morality, which eventually interfered when the time came for him to make an immediate decision that could topple the whole war effort. His action, while saving thousands of innocent people, lead his comrades to slaughter, and thus he was court marshalled and confined in military prison. For mysterious reasons, (the wealth and respect of his House which they made sure to flaunt in advantage of not so subtle corruption) he was released without a discharge, but left the military all the same. Vaughan then lived his next five years in scorn. Vaughan the Officer When Harold's invasion was at a standstill, with the Aedoln realms slowly chipping them away and Ariilyth desperate, Vaughan made a return, this time not in the field, but behind it as an officer. His reputation doomed to prevent him from getting very far as everyone expected him to scrub things up even worse with his attempts to be a hero. They were wrong. Many say that Oswallt Vaughan the Soldier had died in prison, and that five years later his cursed spirit returned to punish the east with a bloody vengeance as Oswallt Vaughan the Officer. Vaughan the officer was not Vaughan the soldier, not in the slightest. Vaughan the officer ruthlessly stomped out the opposition before and even beside him. He rose through the ranks as he ravaged and bit away at Aedol through whatever means like a rabid dog, until eventually he layed its bones before King Harold Uril. Ever since, he's held a fearsome and legendary reputation in Ariilyth for better or worse, enough that his name alone would drastically affect the outcome of the Ariilythian Civil War. The Ariilythian Civil War Decades later, when Aodhain Fhion declared himself King of Arohgard and made claim to Ariilyth's throne, not a soul foresaw the upstart warlord straying any further than the ashen wastes he called home before being dismembered and fed to the siúlcrith he lived with. What they all failed to consider was that the insane King Harold had not only committed genocide, but conscripted men against their will into his army: two large strikes against the matured Lord Vaughan. Of course, Harold's lords all bent to his bidding, as the sycophants they were; this included the Lord of Southwing - residing in the most heavily garrisoned city in Ariilyth - who like a loyal lapdog booted his forces out to crush Aodhain for his good king, knowing that Vaughan was sending the garrison at his own Vaughan Keep to defend the city. Vaughan and his men were given free and unhindered entrance into Southwing... and immediately annexed it - in the name of Aodhain, no less. In that one swift stroke, King Aodhain went from the laughing stock of Ariilyth to the most feared monarch in recent history, and he had nothing to do with it. Southwing fell in line with Arohgard, and Glasia followed soon after in a stroke of fear. Croi had very little time to weigh their options before Vaughan swarmed in through the mountain pass he knew like his back hand and descended upon Noss with a surprise siege. As Vaughan took Noss, Aodhain personally waged war on Maes-Aur to the west of Arohgard, directly below Camadyr's Reach, Vaughan throttled the lords of the north in what became known as the legendary Battle of Redford. Harold's largest division slugged south from Hailleachta through the now hostile forests of Croi, hoping to camouflage themselves from the Rebel's air power. The king thought he would surprise Lord Vaughan by bypassing the lake guarded and treasured heartland and taking Southwing by surprise. Suspecting an attack on his home, Oswallt placed several paratroopers in Croi, which was not unexpected anyway given Croi's value as the heartland of Ariilyth. But nevertheless, it scared Harold into moving swiftly and quietly, though not blindly as he sent several recon operations ahead, most of which came back with satisfactory information… or so thought the general. When Harold’s prime army reached the Camadyr, the only way to cross without revealing themselves was via the Roseford, a large ford stuck between the River Camadyr, flowing directly from Lake Noss. When half the force had crossed, Oswallt's men came from the trees in a flurry and ambushed them from both sides, forcing the royalists to fight on both sides of the river, with a good chunk of their men stuck stranded in the middle of the ford. Tanks and artillery came roaring from the woods, peppering those stuck in the reddening river, and pushing the stragglers into the fallen’s place only to repeat the process - eventually the bombardment proved too much, and what was to be Harold’s game changer, surrendered after a definitive defeat. The Roseford was renamed the "Redford", as the previous name was considered an understatement henceforth, and Lord Vaughan received the moniker: The Bludgeoner of Redford, whether he wanted it or not. With pressure on Ardu-Orga from Aodhain below, Vaughan intended to take this chance to remove Hailleachta from the game, however, his striking victories in Croi had brought a curse in of themselves, as he had no choice but to take the rest of his force and trudge them way through the frosted muck in order to get to Ulacran, which was wedged in the mountains, defended valiantly by the native Haillics, and reinforced by the Northmen. A punishing journey for sure, and the following siege would be little better as it would see Vaughan's first defeat. Yet, by then, King Harold had been slain by Ionadai Comhairle, and Aodhain had taken Maes-Aur. With this news, after accomplishing a pyrrhic victory, the Haillics’ morale plummeted, and they surrendered. This left Camadyr's Reach and Northwing to their own devices, and the scrambling members of The Crown turned to Vossland at last for desperate salvation. Ardu-Orga fell with the Reddening of Goldwing, and Aodhain ascended to the throne - naming Lord Vaughan the Field Marshall of a long overdue, nationalised Ariilyth. Age of The Combine In modern times, Lord Vaughan is far more tame than he was in Aedol, though his reputation would disagree. A balance between the soldier Vaughan and officer Vaughan of Aedol, refusing to fall to both extremes. Despite his position, he does not promote war. He sees it as it is: a necessary evil. Thus, if he believes war to be avoidable, he will strive to avoid it to prevent any rash actions. However, one would be mistaken if they were to take this as hesitation, Vaughan is not above invading unprovoked if for the benefit of Ariilyth, and when he does, he is nigh ruthless and willing to pull all manner of dirt to win. Despite this, he does actually have a code against severe war crimes (of his own choosing), and at the top of his set of rules is an absolute forbidding of genocide in any form on any society. His attitude here is actually inspired by his close friend: Rohan Argadain, a soldier he not only respects for his abilities, but admires for holding to his moral values, while knowing when they best be put aside in the name of duty and refusing to fall cynical in the wake of the resulting actions. The very person Vaughan wishes he was back in his own time serving on the battlefield. He served as Ariilyth's Combine Councillor. This decision was publicly justified by Aodhain stating that the Crown believed war to be coming soon and thus a wartime leader representing Ariilyth in the CmB would be more efficient. In actuality, and unknown to anyone but those Aodhain trusts (and Loch), Lord Vaughan was the written heir to the Athrugadhi Empire, and was stationed in Ahkriim in order to keep him far from the reach of Lord Lochlainn Comhairle with the additional intent of preparing him for the throne. Emperor Vaughan Following the game changing events of the Siege of Barknor and Ardor Incident, Lord Oswallt Vaughan ascended to the throne as Emperor. His first royal decree was to condemn the rogue Lochlainn Comhairle to death and pledge to destroy him. Under his short reign so far: Vaughan has replaced the Court Council with competent and trusted individuals; made reforms to the government, such as allowing the council power to veto the emperor's authority temporarily should the monarch fall mentally ill, as Aodhain and Harold both did; mercilessly rooted out corruption in Athrugadhi politics in general; has made moves against the terrorist faction Scourge; and in a surprising series of events: vassalised the nation of Spookalot, renaming it 'Scanraigh' (for obvious reasons), all due to his demand for the one planet of Sarōtamā: which is the source of a plague that's been killing off Ariilyth's mages, another consequence of the Ardor Incident. Personality and Traits (WIP) The first thing to know about Emperor Vaughan personally is that he is calm, calculating, and as blunt and unbending as the mace he carries. It is for this reason that Lochlainn Comhairle fears him so; enough to risk his own neck simply to prevent him from ascending as Emperor, because when Vaughan issues a command, he does not lightly retract it. He cannot be bought, or swayed into a personal agenda, as he truly and selflessly serves the Athrugadhi people and state. Unlike Aodhain who so flamboyantly relished in his position, Vaughan treats his newfound royalty as yet another office - a means to an end in achieving a goal, and such does not bastardise official Athrugadhi symbols and heraldry with his own, nor does he even sit a throne or adorn himself in royalties. This statement was powerfully made in the form of the Athrugadhi flag, stripped clean of Aodhain's personal insignia, and replaced not with Vaughan's own, but instead left as a simple yet memorable gold cross on a field of navy blue - the practical design of a practical man. Of course, Emperor Vaughan does take pride in his personal achievements and crest, as shown by his mace and armour, the former being the symbol of House Vaughan, and the latter being inspired by his title: The Bludgeoner of Redford, he simply separates them from the Crown. Morally, Emperor Vaughan himself has been undergoing a long transitional period. Regretful of his actions in Aedol, and to some degree in the Civil War, he attempts to balance both Vaughan the Soldier and Vaughan the Officer with logic, reasoning, and situational awareness. But, unfortunately, he is often confronted with the complications it brings. Vaughan wants what is best for Ariilyth, but often the means of achieving his goals to this end can become mired. Being as organised as he is, to give himself a more defined line to draw, he created his code, which he follows to the letter, and uses as his moral pillar. If an action or offence goes against the code, it is not an option to Vaughan under every circumstance. If it does not, it is not out of the question. Yet, under the circumstance that it borders immoral, or flat out is immoral, he will heavily consider other - less deprived - options beforehand. Vaughan is not the sort to wait around and delay on tasks. When he sets his mind on something, he gets to it immediately. A man of action to the very bone, perhaps even to an extreme as he is a workaholic. This, obviously leads to him overworking, and given the weight of his tasks, burns him out quickly. In the past, it caused him enough stress to have gone grey at no less than 43 (see picture). He suffers from a number of addiction problems as a result of this, having latched himself onto a number of stimulants and depressants as a consequence; one example of the latter being cannabis, which is legal in the Athrugadhi Empire. Thankfully, he is responsible enough to stay away from anything that could bring severe harm to himself, and the nation. Combat Abilities He was renowned as Vaughan the Soldier for a reason. In the Aedoln Conquests, he was considered to be one of the most prolific soldiers in the field, which was the foundation of his fame. While Vaughan has not really been on the front-lines since, he consistently keeps himself in top shape and form via the highest quality virtual battlefield simulators, ensuring his physical strength, adaptability, and precision never falter should the day come when he will need them again. He is knowledgeable with firearms, explosives, and other weaponry, but where he truly shines is in melee with blunt trauma weapons. He's wielded his family mace ever since he was still blonde, serving as a CQC specialist, and if this were not devastating enough, he has survived prolonged exposure to veronul, and is a trained biotic as a result. Using this ability in conjunction with his melee prowess, he is capable of getting around the field in a blink, and delivering head crushers from above with irregular speed thanks to his high end augmentations befitting of the Emperor. Gallery File:Vaughan uniform 4.jpg|Vaughan's military uniform File:Vaughan_armour_combat.png|Vaughan's personal combat armour File:Vaughan_armour.png|Vaughan's royal armour File:Vaughan_mace.png|The Mace of Vaughan File:Talonfire.jpg|Gríobhtine File:Crown_of_Ariilyth.jpg|The Phoenix Crown File:Athrugadhi_Outfit.jpg|Vaughan's favourite outfit File:Young_Vaughan_3.jpg|Young Oswallt Vaughan File:Jern_warship.jpg|The Grand Hussar - Vaughan's flagship Category:Characters Category:Status: Alive Category:Humans Category:Ariilyth Category:Southmen Category:Combine Councilors Category:Cyborgs Category:Nobility Category:Military Category:Biotics Category:Athrugadhi Category:National Leaders Category:Belryn Characters Category:Rebels Category:Royalty Category:Skolr's characters